Chapter 118. < Black Wedding. (4) >
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Translator: thursdays Editor: Yahiko PR: LightBrin
5.
Stage cleared.
It meant that this world, [The Tale of Sormwyn Academy], had officially become a part of our Tower.
Hunters could now come and go from this world.
However, they of course could not enter freely. They needed to be judged by the great guilds. For example, a regular Hunter needed a permit to enter the Aegim empire.
What I mean is—
Pop!
Shortly after the stage clearing was announced, a white light flashed. Pop! Pop! Light burst from all over the wedding hall. It was the sight of Hunters being transported to the floor.
“Death King! No, Kim Gongja! You!”
As the lights faded, I saw some familiar faces.
“How could you get married without consulting us?!”
Some people could travel between floors without a permit. For example, the heads of the great guilds. One of them, the Rank 2 Hunter Black Dragon Master, was flushed red.
“I’m against this wedding!!”
“……”
“Death King is a Hunter representing our Tower! Obviously, the wedding should be held on the first floor of our Tower, the city of Babylon, not here! We have to broadcast it all over the world! It’s invalid! This wedding totally doesn’t count!”
The Black Dragon Master wasn’t the only one with something to say.
“Ahem. Hm. Death King.”
The Rank 1 Hunter. The Sword Saint cleared his throat.
“First of all, congratulations on clearing the stage. Truthfully… It was an extremely fast-paced romance. No, I know it’s rude to talk about this here, but as an old man, I’d like to say one thing—”
“Don’t.”
“Mm.”
The Sword Saint closed his mouth. These days, he seemed to be recovering from his boomer mindset.
“There was an uproar while you were challenging this stage. Why in the world did you two fall in love? Despite everything, Death King, I stood firmly on your side. Only those who have experienced love at first sight can understand. You needn’t worry. I understand. Trust me, I’ll placate the Black Dragon Master.”
Then, for some reason, the Crusader gruffly put her nose in the air. Her glance seemed to imply, ‘I understand everything about your love.’ I didn’t know what she meant.
I turned to Raviel.
“Hmm.”
Raviel was expressionless. At first glance, that is. I could understand her seemingly expressionless look because I loved her.
Raviel was… watching the Black Dragon Master and company with great interest. Her red eyes were overflowing with curiosity.
“Gongja. My love.”
“Yes, my love…?”
“There seems to be a lot of people you need to introduce to me.”
Yeah…
It was a little late, but it was time for her to meet my family.
6.
I did think about having her meet everyone before the marriage, but the culture here was different. In the empire, it was common for families to be formally introduced to each other after their union.
“Isn’t it natural?”
Raviel tilted her head.
“Many family members live far away from the main residence. The wedding ceremony is what invites and gathers them together. On the night after the wedding ceremony, the families of the bride and groom finally greet each other.”
“Oh… That’s certainly true.”
I was immediately convinced.
Well, yeah. Marriage was also a union between families. Hunters like us, who fled from the outside world, can’t really talk about family, but… The empire was different. There was a greater importance on the family than on the individual.
And this wedding ceremony didn’t just symbolize a union of families.
A marriage of nations. No, it was a marriage of worlds.
Representing the empire was Raviel. Representing the Tower was me. Since it was our marriage.
“Hoho…”
The grand chamberlain, my adoptive father, maintained his wry smile.
“I never imagined such an occasion… I’ve already sent so many messenger birds to the emperor today. I don’t know what to tell him now.”
“Yes. This was unexpected for us as well,”
said the Black Dragon Master. She was extremely calm, as if she hadn’t been agitated a few moments ago. The powerful people of the empire and the Tower sat side by side at a table, guarded against each other but both taken aback.
“But rather than a misfortune, it was a stroke of luck. Lord Chamberlain, it is fortunate that our first meeting with you is during a wedding.”
Then, they leaped over the wariness and embarrassment and continued to talk.
“You’re saying that your people come from another world, correct? It’s a strange affair that is difficult enough to explain to His Majesty, let alone his subjects.”
“Yes, you’re right. I understand well your empire’s situation.”
The Black Dragon Master nodded. She seemed familiar with acting in a diplomatic capacity. She knew well how to walk the line between competency and politeness.
“However, Lord Chamberlain must have seen the invasion of beings from other worlds. If a person denies the truth, then one day the truth will deny the person. I am concerned about that future.”
“Mm. You speak truly.”
“Thank you. Lord Chamberlain, what we must do from now is to reach a common understanding. For five years, ten, twenty, or perhaps even more…”
Both sides spoke calmly.
Raviel had control over the empire’s people, and I had the complete trust of the Tower’s top rankers. Our marriage was of great fortune for both sides.
It’s normally difficult to physically gather people of power from opposite sides, but the wedding between Raviel and me took care of that arduous task from the get-go. Our negotiations couldn’t have had a better start than this.
“……”
I was sitting in the seats of honor with Raviel. Reaching under the table, I held Raviel’s hand. Tightly. Raviel naturally intertwined her fingers with mine.
“……”
That one gesture made me relax. The night was long. The stars were bright. The candlelight on the table flickered, and between the candles, people spoke.
Suddenly, everything was beautiful.
“Raviel.”
“Speak.”
A quiet whisper.
“There are a few others I want to introduce to you.”
“Other than those here?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should go see them.”
Raviel stood up from her seat.
The empire’s people immediately stopped talking.
“The night is still long. Continue speaking with the others. I’m briefly leaving to meet my wife’s people.”
“……”
No one could stop Raviel from leaving. As expected of the Duchess of Ivansia. If going when one wanted was proof of one’s power, then my husband had unparalleled power here.
I took Raviel to where the Demonic Cult members were sitting.
“Oh. Young Master! You’re a newlywed now!”
The Sword Demon raised his glass and laughed gleefully. All of the cult members were drunk from the alcohol served at the wedding. When they saw me, they tried to stand up to greet us, but I waved my hand. The cultists then bowed in their seated positions.
“Congratulations!”
“Many blessings to you, Young Master!”
“The alcohol here tastes unique and delicious!”
“Long live the Demonic Cult!”
“Phew! You two really look good together!”
The wedding hall became noisy at once. It couldn’t be helped with a thousand Demonic Cult members causing a ruckus. I smiled wryly.
“Sword Demon. Come here.”
“Yes?”
The Sword Demon blinked, still holding a wine glass. He looked dopey, like he didn’t expect to be called out by me. The drunk cultists around him howled in laughter.
“Look at that! I knew he’d get scolded by the young master one day!”
“He forgets to speak politely whenever the young master calls. Fool.”
“Kick his ass, Young Master!”
“Uh… Uuuhhh…”
The Sword Demon put down his glass and hesitantly approached us. His brashness from when he beheaded the general of the ghost legion had completely disappeared. He shrank in on himself like a child who had done something wrong.
“S-sorry. Young Master. I never had much learning, so I don’t know how to speak politely very well. But in my mind, I still look up to Young Master…”
The Sword Demon who laid out many excuses.
I put my hand on his shoulder.
“Raviel.”
Then, I said to my bride,
“This is the Sword Demon.”
“…….”
“He’s a subordinate of my master. My master was the head of a group called the Demonic Sect. She selected four outstanding people from among the cult and called them the Four Demon Lords. The Sword Demon is one of them.”
“Oho.”
Raviel glanced at the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon squirmed.
“A simple man. Your speech is rough, and your attitude is poor. My wife’s master must not have judged a person for their speech or attitude. Since she found you from a rough and poor place, you must be someone precious and noble.”
“……”
“I am Raviel Ivansia. I am a duchess of the empire and the spouse of the one you call Young Master. I hope we’ll get along well.”
“Y-yes. Let’s… get along.”
I turned my head.
“Demon Lord Wolyeong.”
“……”
“Come here.”
Someone stood up from the center of the group. He bowed his head politely.
“Yes, Young Master.”
A strange silence settled over the night air. The small talk that had been happening while they drank had died down. I called each of the Four Demon Lords, one by one, and each time, the demon lord was very polite.
Then, I called the next person I wanted to introduce.
“Preta.”
“…Yes, milord.”
“Come here.”
“Yes.”
Preta, who had been mixed among the cultists, stood up. Perhaps she had been waiting for my summons as she had tidied her outfit.
“This child’s name is… Preta,”
I said.
“Preta was originally born as a nameless monster. She was a doppelganger. She could imitate whatever she ate. Preta ate beasts such as frogs and snakes at first, but accidentally, she came to eat humans. Then…”
Preta quietly kept her head down. Sometimes, her shoulders would shake a little. The strange silence persisted.
In introducing their lives, I also introduced mine.
One person told another about his life. Softly. Under the night sky. It was a sacred act in itself.
“And… Ah. Right.”
I unfastened the Holy Sword from my waist holster.
“This is Shiny.”
“Shiny?”
“Yes. She had a more lofty name at first. She was tricked by a bad man and was sealed into a sword. Her real name, the [Guardian Goddess], seemed like a waste, so I just nicknamed her Shiny. Since, you know, she’s shiny… Very shiny…”
“I see.”
Raviel laughed a little.
“My wife’s naming sense is rather severe. Merciless. If it were me, I would at least have called her Hui.”[1]
[Shiny swears allegiance to the warrior’s partner! ]
Shiny was quick to change loyalties.
“Mm.”
And.
“You can’t see him here… but I have a friend.”
Bae Hu-ryeong.
“Raviel, you may never see him. You can’t meet him either… My friend’s circumstances are a bit peculiar. He can’t show himself to others.”
My partner.
“His way of speaking is totally vulgar, yeah. It’s about 30 times worse than the Sword Demon. But he’s really strong. Incredibly strong… He was the first to teach me the sword, and he taught me to use aura as well.”
“Oho. He’s an important person.”
-……
Bae Hu-ryeong was silent.
He was wearing a shabby martial arts uniform. His arms were folded.
Instead of running his mouth as usual, Bae Hu-ryeong silently looked at Raviel and me.
“…Without this friend, I don’t think I could have endured my time alone.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I must express my gratitude to that friend.”
Raviel bowed her head.
To the empty space in which she could see nothing.
“Meeting Gongja made me happy. If this friend hadn’t helped Gongja, my happiness would never have come to be. Thank you for everything you’ve done for Gongja so he could be here now.”
Bae Hu-ryeong slowly opened his mouth.
-Yeah. Please take care of this crazy kid.
I spoke for him.
“If that friend heard Raviel’s words, he would have said to take care of me because I’m nuts.”
“You have a wonderful friend.”
I took a deep breath.
“Raviel.”
This.
“This is my everything.”
Everything I love.
Everyone who opened and entered the door to my heart.
My family.
“……”
Raviel held my hand firmly.
“My love.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s dance.”
There was an intense passion in Raviel’s eyes. I hesitated. However, when Raviel looked at me like this, wanting to do something with me, I couldn’t say no.
“I’ve never danced properly before.”
“There must be something of the butler’s memories remaining. Please refer to them.”
“What if I accidentally step on your foot? I’ll kill myself.”
Instead of answering, Raviel moved. She bent down and took off her black shoes. A moment later, she stepped barefoot onto the grass and dirt of the lawn.
White feet.
She only took off her shoes, but she seemed as light as the wind.
“Come here.”
“……”
I hesitantly took off my white shoes and socks. Raviel immediately took my hand and led me away.
One step. Two steps.
Raviel stepped on the petals that fell on the lawn on her tiptoes. The white petals of the magnolias and cherry blossoms became whiter with every step.
“……”
Nobody made a sound. No music flowed. There wasn’t even a chandelier like the one that decorated the ballroom, only moonlight that fell like frost in the flower garden.
A ball for just the two of us.
“…See?”
I smiled as I followed Raviel’s steps.
“I’m a mess. I already stepped on your foot three times. Dancing really isn’t my thing. Are you going to kill me with shame?”
“It’s fine. I just need to step on your feet that many times.”
As soon as she said so, Raviel stepped on my foot. Her weight smoothly came onto mine. Raviel laughed playfully.
“Look. We’re even.”
Here was a smile that she only showed to me in this world. My red jewel. My heart. My music.
The chandelier of the moon cast our shadows on the ground.
Our dance wasn’t about stepping on each other’s feet. It was about not letting go of our hands until the end, even if we did step on the other’s foot. No matter what misfortune happened, we laughed a little and looked at each other’s faces.
I belonged to Raviel alone.
Raviel was mine alone.
That was right. We danced. Every spot the moonlight reached was Raviel’s and my ballroom. So long as there were two of us, any world could be our stage.
On this day, we became married.
Our next story would begin on a stage a little higher than the last.
~~~
[1]: Hui still means shining, but it has nicer connotations (bright, glorious).